


Just A Stirring In My Soul

by lunarknightz



Category: Smallville
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-29
Updated: 2010-08-29
Packaged: 2017-10-11 08:20:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/110338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunarknightz/pseuds/lunarknightz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After being fired from the Daily Planet, Chloe must find her way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just A Stirring In My Soul

Chloe spent a lot of time bonding with her TIVO.

She told herself that she needed time to unwind after her stay in the Luthorcorp Gulag. After months of being under someone else's control, it felt good to be in supreme control of _something_, even if it was just a remote control.

Okay, it was pretty much the neatest remote control _ever_. Even Clark, with his multitude of powers, wasn't able to pause live TV. He had super speed, sure, but he had to sprint to the bathroom during commercials just like everyone else.

Deep down, she knew that overdosing in daytime TV wasn't the answer to all of her problems. But television gave Chloe a rhythm to her days. Wake up to Matt, Ann, Merideth, and Al on the _Today_ show. Switch over to _Regis &amp; Kelly_. Back to the _Today_ show for Kathie Lee &amp; Hoda. And then she'd watch Tyra before hitting a mid-afternoon block of Judge Judy and similar shows. Sometimes she'd change it up and add in some _America's Next Top Model_ reruns or VH1's I love the whatever's crap. The end of her routine was a block of _Jon and Kate Plus Eight_, by the time that was over, Jimmy and Lois would be home, demanding control of the television.

As comforting as her television routine was, Chloe knew it wasn't getting her anywhere. She wasn't ready to go back to work. Getting fired from the Planet had broken her heart. Journalism had always been her goal. Chloe had never thought she'd need a fallback plan.

She felt useless. She felt lost.

Hell, even Clark had gotten off the farm and was doing _something_.

Chloe was treading water, waiting for things to get better, somehow. She wasn't even twenty-five, and she was in the midst of a quarter life crisis.

Little by little, Chloe tried to find her way.

She went to the Smallville Library, and checked out a mountain of self-help books. She didn't quite get what the Secret was pointing at. And Chloe wasn't even sure if she had a parachute, never mind knowing what color it was.

Following Lois' advice, she put up her resume online. She couldn't exactly put in what field she wanted to work in- "Whatever in the Hell Will Give Me Money" wasn't a choice. The only hits that she got were for courses that wanted her to pay loads of money in order to get certified to one day sell things to others.

A need for money led Chloe to search for a job, any job, rather than a career. That was how Chloe ended up wearing a red apron and slinging coffee at the Talon. Yeah, it wasn't a glamorous job, but at least she smelled good. She got free coffee, always a bonus, And really, the commute to work couldn't be beat. Chloe only had to walk down the stairs.

Her first few days were a disaster. She spilled drinks and overheated the milk. The syrup pump clogged and she turned into a human sundae, minus the ice cream. But as time went by, Chloe got better. She memorized the recipes, conquered the espresso machine, and charmed the customers.

Clark stopped in every night after work. And he always over-tipped.

When business was slow, Chloe started daydreaming. She started writing down the story on the inside of coffee cup wrappers and paper bags.

Over time, the notes evolved into a story.

Lois found the notes stuffed into the pocket of Chloe's apron one day.

"Chlo, this is incredible!" Lois beamed, reading the story. "What happens next?"

"I…I don't know." Chloe said, feeling a little shy. Unlike her articles for the Torch, Ledger and Planet, these words weren't written for others to read. They were just written because she needed to write.

"You don't know?" Lois rolled her eyes. "Please don't go all Stephenie Meyer on me. You write the characters. You're creating their world. You _have_ to know what's going on."

"Well, nobody sparkles, that's for sure." Chloe said with a shrug. "Would you believe that I haven't written it yet?"

"I would." Lois smiled. "But what's keeping you, 'cuz?"

To that, Chloe didn't have an answer.

 

______

 

Clark looked around nervously. "Is there a reason that we had to leave the office and run to _Barnes and Noble_?"

"Duh, Smallville." Lois shot him a look. "The new Vogue is out. Some things won't wait until Flintstone pulls the tail of the birdie."

"You never fail to creep me out with your weird analogies, Lois."

"I aim to please."

"Lois!" Chloe ran up to her cousin excitedly. "It's here, it's here, it's really here!"

Lois squealed and the cousins jumped up and down together.

"What in the hell is it with the new Vogue? It's just a magazine."

Chloe shook her head. "That's not what we're excited about." Chloe took Clark's hand and steered him towards the fiction section, where the table of new releases sat.

In the middle of the table, with a brightly colored cover sat a novel: _Just In Time_. Smaller letters towards the bottom declared, "A Novel by Chloe Sullivan".

Clark's eyes went wide. "Chloe Sullivan? My Chloe Sullivan…I mean, you?"

"Yup, that's me!" Chloe nodded.

"You wrote a book?"

"I wrote a book. And people liked it enough to buy it. I'm an author!"

"You wrote a book and didn't tell me?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise." Chloe frowned slightly. "Are you mad?"

"Not at all." Clark grinned. "I'm just surprised. But this is absolutely fantastic, Chloe! I'm so happy for you!" He reached down and pulled a book off of the display. "I'm going to buy a copy right now."

"I could give you one of the advance proofs…"

"Chloe. You're my best friend. I want to support you!"

Chloe blushed. "I could even autograph it for you."

"I'd love that."

"Are you two ready to check out or what?" Lois said, her arms full of books. She'd picked up every other copy of Chloe's book that was on display.

"Lois, you don't have to all of buy those."

"The hell I don't!" Lois objected. "I'm under strict orders from the General. He's planning on giving autographed copies as Christmas gifts."

Chloe laughed. "Okay."

Clark put his arm around Chloe's shoulder. "Come on, Miss My Book's Just Been Published. Let's buy these books and go out for a celebratory lunch."

"You're just hungry." Chloe laughed as Clark's stomach rumbled.

"I'm hungry, yeah." He smiled. "And insanely proud of my best friend."

Writing "Just In Time" had been difficult, but it was fun. Chloe hadn't written much fiction before, preferring to stick to the cold hard facts of journalism. In fiction, she could play with the truth, tie up loose ends, and give a story a happy ending. Real life didn't work that way.

As she saw her friends bring her book up to the counter, Chloe felt a rush of joy. Writing and sharing stories with others- this was what she loved.

Chloe Sullivan, author.

It had a nice ring to it.


End file.
